Our second dance hall of the day was Holman Valley Steakhouse at
10204 FM 155, La Grange, TX 78945. This hall is about 109 years old and they are in the process of renovating the dance area. The restaurant is in the front of the building, the dance floor in the back. The last dance was held here about 59 years ago, but they started offering dances six months ago. Wendee Galleymore, the owner, stressed on our visit their primary focus is as a restaurant, not a dance hall. They won’t be installing air conditioning, nor will they do much else to the dance area. They want it to stay as historic as possible.
A little history: In the early 1900’s the building where Holman Valley Steakhouse is now, held a general store, saloon, pool hall and dance hall all under one roof. The current owner, Wendee Galleymore, is a fourth generation descendant of the Hajovsky family from Holman Valley. The Hajovsky’s came to Texas in the early 1880’s from Moravia, Czechoslovakia. Many Austrians, Germans, Moravians, and Bohemians came here in the 1850-1860’s to escape the Austro-Hungarian oppression.
Years ago, Holman consisted of a blacksmith and wheelright shop, two stores, saloons and a gin that produced cotton. The store was one of the first voting precincts in Fayette County over 100 years ago.
Wendee told us she was getting calls from bands as far away as Australia, who would like to come play here. They like the proximity to Austin and the Colorado river bottom.
After a quick dance around the floor, we were back on the bus to visit Mullins Prairie Store, before our stop at Schneider Hall.
Dancing Across Texas 